Recent common cyber attacks

1. Phishing Attack

Example: In 2023, Google faced a sophisticated phishing attack targeting its employees.

What Happened? Attackers sent emails that appeared to come from Google’s internal HR department, asking employees to update their account information on a fake website that mimicked the company's real login page. Several employees entered their credentials, which were then harvested by the attackers.

Exploits Used:

• Social engineering techniques to craft convincing emails.
• A fake login page that closely resembled the legitimate one.
• Email spoofing to make the sender appear legitimate.

Preventive Actions:

• Conduct regular phishing awareness training for employees.
• Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts.
• Use email filtering and anti-spam solutions to detect and block phishing emails.
• Encourage employees to report suspicious emails and conduct periodic phishing simulations.

2. Ransomware Attack

Example: In 2022, Scripps Health, a San Diego-based hospital system, was hit by a ransomware attack.

What Happened? Attackers infiltrated the hospital's network through a phishing email that contained a malicious attachment. Once inside, the ransomware spread across the network, encrypting critical data and rendering systems inoperable. The attackers demanded a ransom for the decryption key.

Exploits Used:

• Phishing email with a malicious attachment.
• Exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities to escalate privileges and spread across the network.
• Use of encryption to lock files and demand a ransom.

Preventive Actions:

• Regularly update and patch all systems and software.
• Implement robust email security measures, including filtering and sandboxing.
• Maintain regular, offline backups of critical data.
• Use network segmentation to limit the spread of malware.
• Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing.

3. DDoS Attack

Example: In 2023, Amazon Web Services (AWS) experienced a large-scale DDoS attack that targeted its cloud services.

What Happened? Attackers used a botnet to flood AWS servers with a massive amount of traffic, overwhelming the system and causing service outages.

Exploits Used:

• Botnets composed of compromised devices.
• Distributed attack vectors to generate traffic from multiple sources.
• Exploitation of weaknesses in the platform's network infrastructure.

Preventive Actions:

• Implement DDoS mitigation services and tools.
• Use content delivery networks (CDNs) to distribute traffic loads.
• Employ rate limiting and traffic filtering to block malicious traffic.
• Conduct regular stress testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.
• Develop an incident response plan specifically for DDoS attacks.

4. Insider Threat

Example: In 2022, Capital One suffered an insider threat incident when a former employee leaked sensitive customer information.

What Happened? A former employee with access to the institution's database copied sensitive data and shared it with unauthorized parties as an act of revenge.

Exploits Used:

• Abuse of legitimate access to sensitive information.
• Lack of monitoring and controls over data access.
• Exploitation of inadequate background checks and employee vetting.

Preventive Actions:

• Implement strict access controls and the principle of least privilege.
• Monitor and log all access to sensitive data.
• Conduct regular audits and reviews of user access rights.
• Use data loss prevention (DLP) tools to detect and prevent unauthorized data transfers.
• Establish a comprehensive employee vetting and monitoring program, including behavioral analytics.